Succos - 039 Atonement of Hoshanah Rabbah For Yisrael & Yishmael

There are two different kinds of “aravos” (willow branches) that we take on Succos. We take aravos on the first six days of Sukkos, with the Four Species that we shake, and on the seventh day of Sukkos (“Hoshanah Rabbah”) we take another pair of aravos, which are called the “hoshanos”. In the times of the BeisHaMikdash, on Hoshanah Rabbah, they would encircle the Altar with these aravos and bang them on the side of the Altar.

The Gemara says that the custom of hoshanos in the Beis HaMikdash was either a minhag neviim (a custom of the prophets) or a yesod neviim (firmly established by the prophets). According to Rabbi Yochanan, hoshanos are a halacha l’Moshe m’Sinai (oral law received from Sinai which was not recorded in the written Torah), which was forgotten and later remembered. According to a third opinion in the Gemara, hoshanos are a minhag neviim.

The depth behind this argument is that hoshanos includes all the levels of the Torah – Biblical law, Oral law, Rabbinical law. The Sages weren’t just arguing if hashanos are a halacha l’Moshe m’Sinai,minhag neviim or yesod neviim. Rather, the depth of this matter is that the concept of the hoshanos “unifies” together all of the levels of the Torah – Torah law, Halacha L’Moshe M’Sinai, and minhag neviim.

Let us try to understand how the aravos [the hoshanos] “unify” together all the parts of Torah.

Yishmael Was Judged With Water: The Judgment of Hoshanah Rabbah On Water

The Gemara teaches that there are four times a year where the world is judged[1]; on the festival [of Succos], there is a judgment on water. Where else do we find judgment with water? We find the world was judged with “a lot” of water, and times where there is judgment involving “a little” water. The world was judged with “a lot of water” by the Flood, where the world was sentenced to become filled with a lot of water. We also find an instance where someone was judged to have “a little” water: Yishmael. When Yishmael was sent out of Avraham’s house into the desert, Avraham sent him with a little flask of water. In this sense, Yishmael was “judged” with “a little” water.

Sarah wanted to expel Yishmael from the home, when she realized that Yishmael was fooling around with Yitzchok and laughing with him. Chazal explain that Sarah foresaw that Yishmael would be the cause of making the Golden Calf. Yitzchok represents the concept of tzechok d’kedushah, holy laughter (as Yitzchok is from the word tzechok), whereas Yishmael is associated with tzechok d’kilkul, evil laughter.

Yishmael was the evil offspring of Avraham. Avraham represents the element of water, for Avraham epitomized kindness, and kindness is symbolized by water, which nourishes and sustains. Thus Yishmael is the “ruined water” who came from Avraham. Here we see further how Yishmael is further associated with water – the evil, impaired, ruined kind of water.

Avraham was afraid to send away Yishmael, but Hashem told him to listen to Sarah, telling him that only Yitzchok is the main son, and not Yishmael. Sarah saw through ruach hakodesh (and this is also the root of how there was ruach hakodesh by the simchas beis hashoeivah on Succos) that Yishmael would be a bad influence on Yitzchok, and Hashem agreed with her view on the matter, and told Avraham to listen to Sarah’s opinion on the matter. Since Sarah’s vision was the root of the ruach hakodesh on Succos, the time of Succos is when the world is judged with water, which Yishmael was judged with.

Chazal say that the verse “And his leaves will not wither” refers to Avraham Avinu, whose “leaves” did not wither – whose offspring remained righteous, including Yishmael. From here, we learn that Yishmael did teshuvah at the end of his life. Even through Avraham sent Yishmael away from his home, sending him away with only a little water that would not be enough to keep him alive, and even though Yishmael was expelled from the home because of his bad influence on Yitzchok, we see that Yishmael still did teshuvah.

On Succos, the world is judged with water, and this judgment is more specifically on Hoshanah Rabbah. On Rosh HaShanah, the judgment is “written”, on Yom Kippur it is “sealed”, and on Hoshanah Rabbah there is a chotam b’toch chotam, a “seal within a seal”. This is also hinted to by the cheimas mayim (jug of water) which Avraham sent with Yishmael, which stands for the acronym of “chotam b’toch chotam”.

The well-known time to do teshuvah is in between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, but there is also another time to do teshuvah, as explained by the Arizal and others: between Yom Kippur and Shemini Atzeres. The day immediately preceding Shemini Atzeres is Hoshanah Rabbah; thus, Hoshanah Rabbah is where the sealing takes place. Yishmael did teshuvah at the end of his life, and so is Hoshanah Rabbah the end of the year. Thus, Hoshanah Rabbah is the time that shows us that even Yishmael can do teshuvah.

This reveals a new facet to teshuvah. Clearly, the teshuvah of the Ten days of Repentance is a different level of teshuvah than the teshuvah of Hoshanah Rabbah. During the Ten Days of Repentance, it is a time of teshuvah uniquely for the Jewish people. Only the nation of Yisrael receives atonement on Yom Kippur, and not the other nations. But Hoshanah Rabbah is a day where we have increased tefillah (prayer), which is the trait of Yishmael, for Yishmael increasingly prayed with his mother Hagar in the desert to be saved; this is the teshuvah (and subsequent atonement) that the nations of the world can attain – through increased prayer.

Therefore, there is a concept that the gentiles can do teshuvah, which began with Yishmael, who did teshuvah. Yom Kippur is a time for teshuvah only for the nation of Yisrael, whereas Hoshanah Rabbah is a time of teshuvah for the nations of the world, symbolized by Yishmael’s teshuvah.

Yishmael – The Root of the Erev Rav

Sarah saw that Yishmael was laughing with Yitzchok. Chazal explain that when Sarah saw Yishmael laughing and trying to be of bad influence to Yitzchok, she saw a vision of the future, where the “Erev Rav” (Mixed Multitude) will influence the Jewish nation to fashion the golden calf.

How did the Erev Rav mix with the Jewish people in the first place? Chazal state that the members of the Erev Rav married women of the tribe of Shimon. The word “Shimon” has the same root as the word “Yishmael” [because they are both from the term shemiah, to “hear”]. On the side of holiness, in the Jewish people, there was “Shimon”, and on the side of evil, there is “Yishmael”. When Sarah saw Yishmael laughing with Yitzchok, she saw that the Erev Rav will come through the tribe of Shimon, the descendants of Yitzchok, because once Yishmael could mix with Yitzchok, she knew that it would produce a descendant with similarities to Yishmael. Through Shimon, the Erev Rav was allowed to enter and influence the Jewish people, thus, Shimon was like a force of “Yishmael” within the Jewish people.

Teshuvah – Returning All of The Disconnected Parts To Hashem

What indeed is the connection between the concept of shemiah\hearing, with the concept of mixing in foreign influences? Hearing is shemiah, which can also mean to “gather”, to connect and unify people together. Yishmael did teshuvah at the end of his life, and Hashem also “heard” his prayers in the desert, “b’asher hu sham”, “for he is there” – these are both rooted in the same matter. The connection is, that when something becomes separated from its root, it can be returned to its root. That is the concept of teshuvah: returning the separated parts to their root.

The word “teshuvah” is from the words “tashuv hei”, “return to hei (Hashem)”, and the letter “hei” is also equal to the number 5, alluding to the 5 aravos that we take on Hoshanah Rabbah and bang them on the ground. That is the “tashuv hei” that is revealed on Hoshanah Rabbah.

On Yom Kippur, this concept is also revealed, with the 5 tefillos on Yom Kippur. On Hoshanah Rabbah, this concept is revealed through the 5 aravos\hoshanos we take, and this symbolizes the teshuvah of Yishmael, where Yishmael returns to his source. On Yom Kippur, the Jewish people returns to Hashem, through the 5 tefillos of Yom Kippur, and on Hoshanah Rabbah, through the 5 hoshanos, there is another kind of return to Hashem.

Hoshanah Rabbah Symbolizes a Deeper Mutual Connection in the Jewish People

During the first days of Succos, we take the Four Species together, in one agudah (cluster). Each of the four species symbolize four different kinds of Jews (those strong in Torah and in good deeds, those strong in Torah but not in good deeds, those strong in good deeds but not in Torah, and those who have neither Torah nor good deeds). What connects all Jews together? Chazal state that the agudah (cluster) binds all of the Four Species together. On Succos, all of the Jewish people become bound together, symbolized by the knot that binds together the lulav, esrog, hadasim and aravos; and it reveals the concept that all the Jewish people are in one “agudah”, one cluster, who all wish to do the will of Hashem with a complete heart.

Concerning Hoshanah Rabbah, though, it is brought in Shulchan Aruch that we take off the upper knot from the lulav on this day. What is the reason for this custom? The reason for this is because on Hoshanah Rabbah, we do not need the agudah to unify us all together.

On Hoshanah Rabbah, instead of taking the Four Species together, instead, we take only the aravos. Why do we replace the four species with only the aravos? We put aside the four species and take the hoshanos, according to one opinion; and according to another opinion, we shake the aravah. But in either case, on Hoshanah Rabbah we take the aravos alone. The deep understanding behind this is because it is really the aravah which unifies all of the Jewish people together. The aravah reflects the concept of areivim zeh l’zeh, that the Jewish people are all mixed with each other; that there is a mutual unity between all of the Jewish people.

During the first six days of Succos, the unity of the Jewish people is expressed in taking all of the four species together, in one cluster. On Hoshanah Rabbah, the unity of the Jewish people is expressed through just the aravos alone, the hoshanos, which shows us that there is a deeper level of unity.

The Reason For Increased Prayers On Hoshanah Rabbah

What is this deeper unifying power that is contained in Hoshanah Rabbah? It is because on Hoshanah Rabbah, we are all united together, through the power of the aravah\hoshanos alone, which parallels the concept of shemiah\hearing, in the sense that Hashem is especially attentive to hearing our prayers on this day.

Thus, on Hoshanah Rabbah, we make sure to pray especially with fervor, with an audible voice, so that we can be “heard”. For this reason, on Hoshanah Rabbah, we have increased prayer. The increased prayers of Hoshanah Rabbah are because the One Who hears us all is unifying us all together. When Hashem listened to the voice of Yishmael praying, “b’asher hu sham”, “for he is there” – it shows that He “hears” all of the nations [when they pray to Him].

Hoshanah Rabbah Reveals a Unity Between All the Nations

This is another way to understand how the festival of Succos reveals a connection between all of the nations in the world [there are many other correlations as well]. This is how Succos unifies everyone together: the concept of Hashem listening to Yishmael, “b’asher hu sham”, when He heard his prayers, reflects the level of teshuvah on Hoshanah Rabbah, where all the nations of the world can return to their Source and thereby become unified again, under their Source, when they are all being heard together.

The fact that Yishmael did teshuvah, which is the concept of the unique level of teshuvah on Hoshanah Rabbah, reveals to us a new facet of understanding about Succos. It shows us that there is a deep dimension where the Jewish people, the nation of Yishmael, and the rest of the nations, can all become unified together.

Everyone in the world comes from Avraham Avinu, who epitomized kindness, who is symbolized by the element of water. Avraham sent Yishmael with a little jug of water. Sarah expelled Yishmael from the home because she foresaw that he would be of bad influence to Yitzchok. But Yishmael did teshuvah, and he returned to his root. This shows us that Succos is a time to have a unique revelation of emunah.

Hoshanah Rabbah Is Above the Level of Succos

There is a Mishnah in Tractate Succah which states that on Hoshanah Rabbah, we do not take away the sukkah, but we take away the utensils from inside the succah, to show that it is the final day of the festival. If there are no utensils in the succah to remove, the Gemara says that one should remove the s’chach of the succah, to remind himself that he will not be eating in the succah for the second days of Succos.

Thus, Hoshanah Rabbah reveals a level that is above the level of succah. During the first six days of Succos, we shake the lulav in the six directions, parallel to the six directions of the succah; and on Hoshanah Rabbah, we remove the knot on the lulav and we remove the s’chach from the succah, which symbolizes a new revelation, as follows.

Succos Represents the View of Sarah Imeinu, and Hoshanah Rabbah Represents the View of Avraham Avinu

We mentioned earlier that the concept of Succos is rooted in the ruach hakodesh of Sarah, who was called Yiskah, from the words “sakah b’ruach hakodesh”, she “saw through the holy spirit”, which is a hint to the word succah. Sarah told Avraham to expel Yishmael from the home, because she saw he will be of bad influence. But why didn’t Sarah foresee that he would do teshuvah? If she had ruach hakodesh, why couldn’t she see the end of Yishmael, which ended with teshuvah?

The answer to this is that her ruach hakodesh was showing her a lower dimension, which sees up to six dimensions, and therefore all she could see was the fact that Yishmael would be of bad influence to Yitzchok. Indeed, she was correct. But through the seventh day of Succos, which is above Succos\the six directions – the day of Hoshanah Rabbah, which reveals a seventh dimension that is above the normal six directions – there is a point where Yishmael returns to Avraham Avinu, where Yishmael does teshuvah.

This was the depth of why Avraham was afraid want to send away Yishmael; he saw this deeper seventh dimension, where Yishmael will do teshuvah. Avraham’s fear of sending away Yishmael was actually a sign that Yishmael would be returned to him. Hashem told Avraham to listen to Sarah, but that doesn’t mean that Avraham was completely wrong. Both Avraham and Sarah were correct. Sarah’s view towards Yishmael represents the level of the first six days of Succos, parallel to the normal six dimensions. Avraham’s view towards Yishmael, his fear of sending him away, was actually a catalyst that helped Yishmael do teshuvah. Yishmael eventually influenced Hagar, when she became known as Keturah, whom Avraham remarried after she repented.

The Teshuvah of Yishmael Reflects the Teshuvah on Hoshanah Rabbah

This idea that Yishmael did teshuvah was enabled by the unique power of teshuvah that is on Hoshanah Rabbah. Yishmael returned to his root, Avraham Avinu, when his prayers were heard by Hashem.

That is the power of Hoshanah Rabbah, which reveals a new level of hearing\connection. What enables this connection? The descendants of Yishmael are called aravim (Arabs), from the word “aravos” – and as explained above, it is the aravos\hoshanos we take on the seventh day of Succos which reveals a power to unify. This is the point where the ruined offspring of Avraham Avinu, Yishmael, can be rectified and returned to the house of Avraham, to holiness.

Chazal state that the verse “And his leaves will not wither” refers to Avraham, whose offspring did not wither, for even the “leaf” that fell from him, Yishmael, did teshuvah.

We bang the aravos on Hoshanah Rabbah, until the leaves fall off (either totally, or mostly). With the regular aravos we take on Succos, which we do not bang, we want the leaves to stay. Yishmael represents the leaf that fell away from Avraham, for he was sent out of Avraham’s home. The regular aravos, where we want the leaves stay, represents how Yishmael is the leaf that can still remain connected, even after it has become separated from its source. Yishmael will ultimately be returned to holiness, because he is still connected to Avraham, through his teshuvah.

The Depth of Banging the Hoshanos on the Ground and the Teshuvah of Yishmael

Even more so, we find that Yishmael did teshuvah at the end of his life, but this was after Avraham was niftar. Avraham was his source, his wellspring of “water”, which enabled him to survive in the desert. We bang the hashanos on the ground because only after Avraham went into the “ground”, when he was buried, did Yishmael do teshuvah. Yishmael did teshuvah and returned to his root only after Avraham left the world. Therefore, Yishmael’s return to holiness is only when the hoshanos are banged onto the ground. But why is this so? And why is the banging of the hoshanos considered to be the “teshuvah” of Yishmael?

Chazal say that Yishmael was circumcised when he was 13, therefore, he merited to dwell in Eretz Yisrael, especially in the final days. Yishmael is represented by the aravah, which are called arvei nachal (willows that grow by the stream). In a person’s body, the nachal (stream) is represented by the Bris Kodesh (his place of circumcision), for Bris Kodesh is a person’s source of life, his inner wellspring. Yishmael has a merit in the land of Eretz Yisrael, in its earth, because he only did teshuvah when Avraham died and went back to the “earth”; because Yishmael only merits teshuvah when he is banged on the “earth” through the hoshanos.

The fact that “Yishmael”\aravos\hoshanos is banged on the earth, by the time of hoshanos, is to show that he has a merit in the “earth” of Eretz Yisrael; Yishmael merits Eretz Yisrael because he was circumcised [soon, it will be explained the nature of Yishmael’s connection to Eretz Yisrael and why it is incomplete].

The Depth Behind The Differing Customs of How The Hoshanos Are Banged On The Ground

When banging the aravos, there are differing customs. The Tur says to bang it inside a “kli”\vessel, but the Arizal says to bang it on the ground without a kli\vessel. What is the deep meaning behind these two views?

Eretz Yisrael is called “Eretz HaTzvi”, “land of the deer”, because it is a land which will expand in the future, just a deer runs, which is a kind of expansion. Yishmael only merits Eretz Yisrael on a level of “kli”\vessel [an external connection to Eretz Yisrael], and therefore, Yishmael’s connection to Eretz Yisrael is only to the “kli” of Eretz Yisrael, which is limited, and not to the “Eretz HaTzvi” aspect of Eretz Yisrael, which is its eternal and unlimited aspect.

This is the deeper reason of why the Tur says that the hoshanos must be banged only in a kli\vessel, and not directly on the ground. Just as a kli is measured and thus limited, so is Yishmael’s share in Eretz Yisrael limited, for he is only connected to the “kli” aspect of Eretz Yisrael. For this reason, Yishmael only has temporary control over Eretz Yisrael, because Yishmael can only connect to the “kli” of Eretz Yisrael, its limited aspect, and not to its unlimited aspect, “Eretz HaTzvi” (which only the Jewish people received, through Yitzchok).

When Avraham remarried Hagar as Keturah, who was brought to him by Yishmael, what was Hagar now to Avraham? She was only a “kli” to him. Avraham did not continue through Yishmael, he continued only through Yitzchok, as Hashem said to him, “For Yitzchok shall be called your offspring”, and Yishmael was no longer regarded as the offspring of Avraham. Therefore, Hagar’s children were not a continuation, and even after she later married Avraham as Keturah, she was still not a continuation to Avraham, so she was nothing more than a kli to Avraham. The Gemara says, “A woman does not consent to be betrothed by a man unless she first makes herself into a kli (“container”) to him”. But all she could be to him was a kli.

But Yitzchok, who was called the offspring of Avraham, unlike Yishmael who was expelled, is the eternal continuation of Avraham. Sarah, therefore, who bore Yitzchok, was therefore not just a kli to Avraham as any woman is to her husband, but a source of continuation for him, for she is the mother of Avraham’s continued descendants.

Thus, when we bang the hoshanos on the ground, according to the Tur that it must be banged within a kli, this reflects Yishmael, and according to the Arizal that it is banged directly on the ground, this reflects Yitzchok. Either of these opinions is true and holy. The Tur’s custom that hoshanos should only be banged within a kli\vessel, is referring to the lower level, “Yishmael”, who can only be a kli\vessel to the “ground” of Eretz Yisrael, its “limited” aspect, and not more than that. The Arizal’s custom is reflecting the higher level, “Yitzchok”, who has the intrinsic connection to Eretz Yisrael, to its unlimited and “expanded” aspect [which will be in the future, when it will expand], and that is why the Arizal says to bang the hoshanos directly on the ground, without being inside a kli\vessel.

We explained here that aravos on Hoshanah Rabbah represents a connection between Avraham and Yishmael. The Jewish people began with Avraham, and they also separated from Avraham, through the separation that occurred between Yitzchok and Yishmael. We have explained that on Hoshanah Rabbah, through the concept of the hoshanos, there is a return to this connection of Yishmael to Avraham, rooted in the fact that Yishmael did teshuvah.

On the other hand, on Hoshanah Rabbah, we also bang the hoshanos on the ground until the leaves fall off, to show that the nation Yisrael is ultimately separated from the nations.[2]

Hoshanah Rabbah on Shabbos: A New Dimension of Teshuvah

Hoshanah Rabbah is called “shvii shel chag”, the seventh day of the festival of Succos, but is not just the seventh day of the festival. The Talmud [in Sukkah 32b]says that the aravah taken on Shabbos is called “aravah shel shiva”. The lulav is not taken on Shabbos, but the “aravahshel shiva” was taken on Shabbos, because we are not concerned that a person will carry it outside the techum Shabbos (boundary to carry within, on Shabbos). So on Hoshanah Rabbah it’s possible to have aravos without lulav, when it’s Shabbos.

This shows us that Shabbos reveals a concept of aravos without the lulav. In a regular Shabbos, there is eruv techumin, where one may only carry within the techum. But when Hoshanah Rabbah falls on Shabbos, the aravah may be taken and there is no reason to suspect it will be carried out of the techum, and the deeper understanding of this is because it is within its own techum (boundary), like a techum within a techum, similar to the term “chotam b’toch chotam” (seal within a seal) which is Hoshanah Rabbah.

Hoshanah Rabbah, which is called the “chotam b’toch chotam”, “seal within a seal”, reveals a level where there is no reason to suspect that one will leave the techumshabbos with his lulav. This is the unique power of the “aravah” on Hoshanah Rabbah. When Hoshanah Rabbah falls on Shabbos, where aravah was practiced, it reveals a new facet to Shabbos. The seventh day of Succos, when it falls on Shabbos, reveals this new dimension on Shabbos.

The word “Shabbos”, besides for meaning rest, is also from the word “teshuvah”, “return”. When Hoshanah Rabbah falls on Shabbos, the hoshanos were taken on Shabbos because this is there is as special power of teshuvah on Hoshanah Rabbah, and in this level of teshuvah, there is no concern that a person will sin, and that is the depth of why he may take the hoshanos on Shabbos and there is no concern that he will carry outside the techum.

This level of teshuvah revealed on Hoshanah Rabbah, where there is not even a suspicion that a person will sin, is a reflection of the level of the teshuvah of Yishmael, and the return of the nations, where all the nations including Yishmael return to the house of Avraham where they come from; Avraham made converts from the nations, and this shows us that all the nations are unified under Avraham.

The Teshuvah of Hoshanah Rabbah: Returning To the Perfect Shabbos

The teshuvah of Hoshanah Rabbah is the time that is called “chotam b’toch chotam”, “seal within a seal”, where everything becomes “sealed”; it “seals” all that has come after Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succos. What does it accomplish?

It is a return to the Shabbos of Olam HaBa (the World To Come) which Adam never reached, because of the sin. It is a return, a “teshuvah”, to the Shabbos of Olam HaBa, had Adam never sinned, which would have been the complete “seventh” day of Creation.

That perfected level of Shabbos is for the Jewish people as well as all the nations. A gentile who keeps Shabbos is liable to capital punishment, but that is only in the current level of Shabbos. In contrast, the future Shabbos will be kept by even the gentiles.

The Atonement on Hoshanah Rabbah: The Place Itself Atones

The aravos\hoshanos on Hoshanah Rabbah are banged on the ground, which is like a “return” to their place. The hoshanos remain in their place, and they are not shaken, in contrast to the Four Species, which are shaken. The Four Species are shaken and moved, in contrast to the hoshanos, which were placed on the side of the Altar, and the place itself beside the Altar atoned. Moving and shaking the Four Species, as well as encircling the Altar with the hoshanos, reflects a lower level of atonement, where the place itself does not atone. Placing the hoshanos on the side of the Altar, where the place itself atones, reflects the higher level of atonement, which is the teshuvah of Hoshanah Rabbah.

The teshuvah of Hoshanah Rabbah reveals the teshuvah which began on Rosh Hoshanah. The hoshanos are not shaken like the aravos on the lulav; rather, they were placed on the side of the Altar, and they are like the “aravah shel shiva” that could be taken on Shabbos, the aravos of teshuvah, from the word Shabbos, and teshuvah returns one to his place. Thus the hoshanos were put on the side of the Altar and remained there, in place, to symbolize this idea.

There is a halachah on Motzei Yom Kippur to immediately start building the succah, to show that we are going into exile. The succah, and the first six days of Succos, is compared to the situation of exile. But this is from the perspective of the six thousand years we are in, which is the exile, represented by the six directions we shake lulav in, on the first six days of Succos. But Hoshanah Rabbah reveals the seventh dimension, which will be after these six thousand year years, where there is no exile, no six directions; where we remain in place, and the place itself atones, with no need to move from place.

Thus, the six directions of Succos reflects the exile, which is an atonement achieved through movement; in exile, we move from place to place. But Hoshanah Rabbah is a deeper level of atonement, where the place itself atones, where there is no exile, and this is the teshuvah\return to the perfect Shabbos.

“B’Asher Hu Sham” – “For He Is There”

This idea, that on Hoshanah Rabbah, the very place itself atones – reflects the concept of “b’asher hu sham”, when Hashem judged Yishmael for being “there”, in a place where he was repenting. That is the power of the aravah on Hoshanah Rabbah – a new level of atonement for the Jewish people, where the place alone atones.

This is a deep revelation about the atonement of Hoshanah Rabbah. The atonement of Yom Kippur is possible because the Satan has no permission on this day; the evil inclination has no control. On Hoshanah Rabbah, there is an evil inclination, but the place itself atones. This is a higher level of atonement than on Yom Kippur. On Hoshanah Rabbah, there is a rectification even for the wicked, through the aravah of Hoshanah Rabbah, which represents the wicked. The aravos represent the Arabs – Yishmael - who was judged “b’asher hu sham”, for where he was, when Hashem accepted his teshuvah.

The word “Yishmael” is also from the word “sham”, “there”, alluding to how Hashem judged him in the place he was in - “b’asher hu sham”. There, in that place, he did earnest teshuvah; in spite of the fact that his descendants would later cause suffering to the Jewish people, Hashem accepted his teshuvah, because in that place where he did teshuvah, he was with Hashem, and Hashem looked at this “place” alone, which atoned for him. That is the unique atonement and teshuvah of “b’asher hu sham”, which is the very concept of the teshuvah available through Hoshanah Rabbah.

The Depth of Praying on Hoshanah Rabbah For Rain

This concept is also what enables us to prayfor rain, on Hoshanah Rabbah.

On Hoshanah Rabbah, when we pray especially to receive rain, on a deeper level, we arepraying from the level of “b’asher hu sham” – “there” – we are referring to the source of the waters, and not where the waters come to. If we are praying from the place where the waters descend to, which is here on this earth, then we are not deserving. But if we are praying to receive the waters from the source where they come from, “sham”, “there”, where the upper waters are, in Heaven – we are then deserving.

Since the aravos on Hoshanah Rabbah contains this special atoning power of “b’asher hu sham”, we are able to daven for rain on Hoshanah Rabbah. We are not davening on Succos for rain from the place we stand in on this world. If we would be, that would not be the level of b’asher hu sham, and we wouldn’t be deserving. Rather, we are asking for rain from where it comes from in Heaven, which is “sham” – there, not here.

[There are higher waters, which are rain of blessing, and lower waters, which are destructive rain]. On Succos, when the world is judged for water, this is not referring to the “lower waters”, but the “higher waters”. The “higher waters” we pray for on Succos are waters of blessing, unlike the “lower waters”, which are waters that bring destruction, of which Chazal say are cursed waters that ruin the festival. We are praying to receive the “higher waters”, which refers to the level of “b’asher hu sham”, for the higher waters are “sham” (there) in Heaven.

Praying From Our Soul’s Root – Our Point of Mutual Unity In The Jewish People

When we daven to Hashem, we daven with our mouths, from our lips. But there is also a deeper way to daven: when we daven from our “shoresh haneshamah”, the “root of all the [collective] soul” [from the point where the entire Jewish people are unified together].

The two aravos we take together with the lulav on Succos are parallel to the two lips; thus the level of Succos represents the normal level of prayer, where we daven from our lips. But there is a verse, “With their lips they honor Me, but their hearts are far from Me.” Therefore, praying with our lips alone is the incomplete level.

But on Hoshanah Rabbah, the aravos are all taken together, alluding to the unity of the Jewish people, “areivim zeh l’zeh”, for all Jewish souls are rooted in one unit. When we pray from this unified place, it is the level of “b’asher hu sham”, where our prayers are not coming from our lips, but from our unified essence, the root of all our souls. With such prayer, a person’s prayers may be answered by Hashem even before he calls out to Hashem, as in the verse, “Before they call out, I answer.”

This is the level of the higher unity, called “areivus”, revealed through the aravos of Hoshanah Rabbah. This is the depth of the connection between Hoshanah Rabbah and water, where we pray for water, from its source, alluding to the concept of b’asher hu sham, “there”. This is the “seal within a seal” on Hoshanah Rabbah – it refers to the concept that Hashem judges us based upon the place we are in, “b’asher hu sham”, for being “there”, in our original, upper, heavenly source. There, in the source, everything is pure, clean, and good – thus when one is “there”, everything will be good.

The Rectifying “Waters” of Hoshanah Rabbah

Moshe was saved by water, which symbolizes the “higher waters” of Heaven that can save a person; unlike the “waters of strife” which prevented Moshe from entering the land. The waters that saved Moshe’s life alludes to the rectifying “waters” of Hoshanah Rabbah which can save a person, which is the “sham” (there) of “b’asher hu sham” – for a person to return to his upper, heavenly source, “there”. It is that place which reveals the highest level of atonement which seals the entire Jewish people for a good year.